Emirates Launches Dakar Route

Today Emirates began direct
services to Dakar from Dubai, the new direct route will operate under flight
number EK 797 and EK 798 for the return, with flight details as below:

Flight Number

Route

Days of operation

Depart

Arrive

EK 797

Dubai –
Dakar

Tu We Fr
Sa Su

0955 hrs

1600 hrs

EK 798

Dakar –
Dubai

Tu We Sa
Su

1700 hrs

0715 hrs
+1 day

Emirates Dakar service will be
operated on an Airbus A340-300 configured with 3 classes, 12 first class seats,
42 business class seats and 213 economy class seats.

The full media release from
Emirates can be read below:

Emirates brings West Africa
closer with launch of new Dakar route

DUBAI, U.A.E., 1st September, 2010: Emirates
has strengthened its links to West Africa with the launch of a new direct
service to Dakar.

EK 797 took off this morning for the airline’s
105th destination, creating the only non-stop, scheduled passenger link between
Dubai and Senegal. The new route will cut current journey times to Dakar by
around the equivalent of an eight hour working day, creating an easy, fast and
convenient service for business and leisure travellers.

Nigel Page, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Africa &
the Americas said:“Today marks a new chapter in air
travel between the Middle East and West Africa. No more will passengers
travelling to and from Senegal face long detours to Europe or other parts of
Africa to reach their final destination.

“Instead,
they can enjoy the convenience of a non-stop air link with Dubai, seamless
connections to key centres in the Middle East, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia
and the Far East through our state-of-the-art Terminal 3, a very competitive
baggage allowance and the award-winning in-flight service for which Emirates is
renowned.”

EK 797 departs Dubai at 0955hrs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday and arrives in Dakar at 1600hrs. EK 798 leaves the
Senegalese capital at 1740hrs and gets into Dubai at 0715hrs the following day.

An Airbus A340-300 is being deployed on the route, offering 12 seats in
First Class, 42 in Business and 213 in Economy.

On the cargo side, Emirates will be transporting 65 tonnes of goods a
week from various points on its global network, including oil industry
equipment from the UAE; textiles from Asia, electronics from East Asia and
Europe; and a number of products and garments from India.

One of the key imports from Senegal will be seafood, with Emirates
SkyCargo expecting to transport up to 3,500 tonnes of seafood a year in the
belly-hold of the A340-300. Fresh produce – such as lobster, shrimp and sea
bream – will be landing in supermarkets and restaurants throughout the UAE and
the rest of the GCC, as well as various destinations across the Emirates
network, including Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Paris and
Beirut.

The new Dakar route caps an exceptionally busy few months for the
airline. Since the start of the summer, Emirates has announced orders for an
additional 30 Boeing 777-300ER and 32 A380 aircraft; and placed a US$2.0
billion order for GE90-115B Engines to power the new 777s. With 12 A380
aircraft now in service, Emirates has instated its flagship A380s on its
Beijing and Manchester routes, with the latter also commencing today, 1st
September.

Mr Page added:“Our
new Dakar service is a further demonstration of Emirates’ commitment to
investing in and supporting the development of its pan-African footprint.
Not only is the service already paying dividends through the creation of new
jobs, such as our first Senegalese cabin crew and sales staff, but it will
provide a significant long-term boost to trade and commerce in both the Middle
East and West Africa.”

Trade between the UAE and Senegal has climbed from USD 14.2 million (AED 52.1
million) in 2003 to USD 184 million (AED 676 million) in 2009, according to
figures from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Dakar is the fifth new route to be launched by Emirates this year. The
others are Tokyo, which launched on 28th March, Amsterdam on 1st May, Prague on
1st July and Madrid, on 1st August.